Art Therapy Center Widyatama was established as a concrete forum for scientific contributions and participation in the treatment of people with disabilities. The therapy methods applied by Art Therapy Center (ATC) Widyatama aim to develop the behavioristic and life skills of children with disabilities.
Director of ATC Widyatama Dr. Anne Nurfarina, MSn revealed that, on the one hand, the number of children with autism continues to increase every year. In 2007, it was recorded that out of every 100 births, there was one child with autism. A study in 2013 showed that out of every 50 births, there was one child with autism. The above reasons became the basis for the Widyatama Foundation and the Faculty of Visual Communication Design (FDKV) of Universitas Widyatama to establish ATC Widyatama.
This organization, explained Anne, is engaged in the development of art and design-based therapy for students with special needs, as well as the development of audio, visual, and movement-based media therapy. “The method applied at ATC Widyatama is not for healing, but to develop the behavioristic and life skills of students with special needs through art and design. The method we use is the sensory method as a gateway to understanding students’ interests,” explained Anne Nurfarina.
Anne emphasized that ATC Widyatama is the first organization in Indonesia where art and design science is implemented in the field of therapy for people with disabilities. The establishment of ATC Widyatama also represents the concern of the Widyatama Foundation, which was initiated by the late Prof. Dr. Hj Koesbandijah Abdoel Kadir MSi Ak, CA, for the education of the nation’s children, including those with disabilities.
The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with professional management applied by ATC Widyatama is expected to maintain concrete educational sustainability for people with disabilities. These children with disabilities, said Anne, have the right to acquire knowledge and skills that are useful for their lives. Not just memorizing, filling out Student Worksheets (LKS) or basic skills.
“The ATC Widyatama concept is vocational education, where people with disabilities are guided to be able to work, understand simple management, and have an entrepreneurial mindset,” said Anne, who is also the Dean of FDKV Universitas Widyatama.
FDKV Universitas Widyatama oversees the D4 Graphic Design and D3 Multimedia Study Programs, which are the result of the aspiration to organize and produce graphic designers and creative individuals in the field of multimedia for the professional path to meet the needs of the creative industry.
D4 Graphic Design Widyatama produces graduates as Brand Identity, Corporate Identity, Logo, Brand Strategy Consultant, Campaign Design, Advertising, Sign System Design, Exhibition Design, Museum Design, Packaging Design, Web Design, User Interface Design, Promotional Design, Merchandise Design, and many more.
Meanwhile, the Diploma 3 Multimedia program at Widyatama produces graduates as 3D Artists, Animators, Web Designers, Video Editors, Visual Jockeys, Game Artists, Visual Graphic Artists, Digital Painters, Video Clip Makers, and creative divisions within the advertising and television industries.
